Plural electrical conductor strip and collector



Nov. 25, 1952 A. J. KROECKEL 2,619,553

PLURAL ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR STRIP AND COLLECTOR Filed July 1, 1949 4ALFRED J. KROEC/(EL INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 25, 1952 PLURAL ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR STRIP AND COLLECTORAlfred J. Kroeckel, Burbank, Calif. Application July 1, 1949, Serial No.102,675

6 Claims.

The invention relates to an electrical conductor and, more particularlyto an improved insulation covering for a portion of a bare conductor.The novel features reside in insulation for supporting the conductor toexpose a portion of its periphery throughout its length and to a novelform of such insulation whereby the conductor may be readily associatedwith and held by the insulation. A further feature resides in insulationof such a nature that it may be employed as a support for the conductor.

A preferred use of the conductor relates to employing it as a trolleywire for a toy or other items forming no part of the present invention,although the conductor may also be employed in a coordinate wire relayfor telephone systems or in other types of electrical apparatus.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to thedrawings wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a trolleywire having a pair of electrical conductors according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of apparatus illustrating one process formanufacturing the electrical conductor.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional View through one conductor andits associated insulation, with part of the insulation broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 of a modified form ofelectrical conductor.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the invention provides a core I inthe form of an extrusion of insulating material such as thermoplasticmaterial, rubber or rubber substitute material. The core I is in theform of a rod or strip and it may take various forms, its essentialrequirement being that it has a longitudinally extending outwardlyfacing peripheral groove 2 as shown in Fig. 4, this groove conforming toa lengthwise strip of the periphery of a straight electrical conductor3, and as a round or cylindrical conductor is illustrated in Fig. 4, thegroove 2 is likewise concave. The groove 2 is formed in the course ofextruding the core I and it extends slightly more than 180, as seen insection, for example from 200 to 220, thereby providing overhangs rre-entrant portions 4 and to hold the conductor 3 in the groove 2. Inother words, the entrance to the groove 2 has a dimension smaller thanthe maximum width of the groove.

If the extrusion I is of rubber or similar material which is flexibleand resilient at atmospheric temperature, the conductor 3 may be forcedinto the groove 2 by flexing one or both of the overhanging rims 4 and 5to spread them apart enough to admit the conductor. The rims 4 and 5terminate at an intermediate portion of the conductor 3 whereby theouter portion of conductor 3 is exposed. Also the rims 4 and 5 arenarrow at their tops or outer ends and increase in thickness inwardlyalong the body. The rims d and 5 are somewhat wedge-shaped opposite thatpart of the conductor 3 which they embrace. The rims 4 and 5 thus havegreater flexibility at their outer ends to facilitate insertion orremoval of conductor 3 or the supporting cylindrical ridge 49 shown inFig. 5 and de scribed later.

If the extrusion I is of thermo-plastic material such as tenite,assuming the extrusion I has cooled to atmospheric temperature and,therefore, has become rigid, it may again be brought to a flexible stateby passing the same through an oven 6 to raise its temperature enough sothat it becomes flexible or plastic, whereupon the electrical conductorhere indicated at It) may be forced into the overhanging groove I I bysupporting the extrusion I2 on a roller I3 and by guiding and forcingthe conductor I I] into the groove II by means of an opposite roller I 4having a groove I5 to conform to the contour of the conductor It. As theconductor It is here illustrated as being cylindrical, the groove I5 inthat case would be semi-cylindrical.

The extrusion I may be extruded to have a supporting base 20 as shown inFig. 1 whereby this base may be supported on a suitable bracket 2| andheld thereto by a bolt 22. This figure also illustrates a similarextrusion 23 having a base 24 which is also held by the bolt 22, theextrusions I and 23 being arranged back to back on the bracket 2| so asto provide an upper conductor 3 and a lower parallel conductor 25, eachexposed throughout its full length for a portion of its periphery andthe remainder of the periphery being embraced and held in the groovelike 2. Each extrusion may also have a base which extends on oppositesides of the conductor as 11- lustrated in Fig. 1 wherein the bases 20and 24 are also held on opposite sides of the bracket 2: by a bolt 26.

The bracket 2I is held on a suitable support indicated at 21. Thetrolley 36 has an upper roller 3| which rides on the conductor 3 and alower roller 32 which rides on or bears against the conductor 25. Therollers 3| and 32 are metal or other electrically conducting material.Roller 3| may be grounded to the frame 33 of the trolley, while theroller 32 is carried by an axle 3-2 insulated from the frame 33 by abushing 35. An electrical connection not shown is made to the frame 33and another electrical connection not shown is made to the axle 34. Therollers 3! and 32 have flanges which embrace and conform to the shape ofthe cores 1 and 23 re spectively, each core having flat sides whichtaper out from the conductor in angular relation. to each other.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, the extrusion iil is formed with grooves4|, 42, i3, each like groove 2 in Fig. 4, for electrical wires orconductors as, iii and 46, respectively. This form of the inventionillustrates the use of a plurality of parallel grooves on the sameextrusion here indicated as ll]. Each such groove may have an electricalconductor'as above described and an additional similar groove 41 may beprovided to receive a support 58 which may be of metal or othermaterial. The support 58 has a cylindrical ridge 49 having a contour thesame as its groove 3?, the groove all being substantially the same asthe other grooves like t i whereby the groove dl has overhangingportions like and 52 which embrace and hold the ridge 1% ofcorresponding shape. If desired, the support l3 rnay alsohave a flangei2 3 atone side of the ridge 49, and a flange 55 at the opposite sidethereof, these flanges conforming to and fitting the adjoining portionsof the extrusion as shown in Fig. 5.

The support it may be'as long as the extrusion at or it may be shorterand arranged at spaced intervals. As the support :3 is not flexible likethe copper wire or other conductor iii, it would not be forced into itsgroove by a roller as shown in Fig. 3 but instead can be forced into thegroove by pressing down on one overhang such as 5! to increase theminimum width of the groove enough so that the ridge 53 can enter thegroove. This can be readily done if the extrusion is of rubher or thelike, whereas if of thermo-plastic material it may be necessary to warmthe extrusion to make it flexible as above described.

The bare conductors such as at If and id to 46 may be cemented in theirrespective grooves if desired although this is not necessary. If nocement is used, the conductor is removable from its groove, by pullingit out or pealing it off from the groove.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the trolley 58 has an upper contactroller 6! which rides on the upper bare portion of the conductor 44, abrush 6'2 which rides on the outer exposed portion of the conductor 35,and a lower roller 53 which rides on the exposed lower portion of theconductor it.

The roller 6| may be grounded to the frame 55 to which an electricalconnection is made as indicated at 65. The brush 52 is insulated fromthe frame 65 by a bushing 68, it is urged into contact with theconductor d5 by a. spring 6? arranged in a housing $9, and electricalconnection is made to the spring 57 by a conductor 18.

The roller 53 is insulated from frame 65 by a bushing 'ii and electricalconnection is made to it by a conductor 72.

Suitable electrical apparatus forming no part of the present inventionis carried by the trolley like 69 and electrical connection to itsvarious parts may be made by the conductors above described.

It will be apparent, therefore, that each extrusion or insulating corelike I, 23 and 40 is adapted to frictionally retain its. conductor orconductors in its groove or grooves,,With'-a length-- 4 wise peripheralportion of such conductor exposed, the extrusion forming a support forthe conductor or conductors.

The insulating core like I, 23 and 40 may be made by extruding it from adie of corresponding shape, in known manner, to form a strip of anydesired length. If the insulating core like I, 23 and ii issubstantially as long as the electrical conductor laid in its groove,then such conductor may be smaller than in the case where the core 1, 23and so is arranged in short pieces placed at spaced intervals along theconductor. In the latter case, the conductor need be large enough tohave sufllcient rigidity to support the weight of the trolley and itsparts.

Various other modifications may be made in the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit of the following claims. For example, thecores i, it may be arranged at spaced intervals on their conductors.

I claim:

' 1. An electrical conductor device comprising an elongated body ofinsulating material having aplurality of sets of longitudinallyextending spaced flexible rims, each set defining an outwardly facingperipheral groove of the same size and shape, the rims of each set beingnarrow at their outer ends and of increasing thickness inwardly of saidbody, said body having sides tape ing from the rims of each set, aconductor fitting in one of said grooves with its said rims termi--natin at an intermediate portion of the periphery of the conductor andoverhanging opposite sides of the conductor and retainingthe'conductor'in its said groove, said conductor having a barelongitudinal portion, a relatively movable contact for the bare portionof said conductor and a support having an arcuate ridge having the sameshape as said conductor and fitting in the other of said grooves.

2. An electrical conductor according to claim 1,.

with said conductor in one of said grooves and a support having a ridgefitting in the opposite groove, a carrier having a spring contact forsaid last mentioned conductor, the third of said grooves having aconductor and a contact roller therefor having flanges conforming to theshape of said body adjacent said third conductor.

5. An electrical conductor device comprising an elongated body ofinsulating material having two sets of longitudinally extending spacedrims, each set defining an outwardly facing peripheral groove, saidgrooves being opposite each other, the

rims of each set being narrow at theirouter ends and of increasingthicknes inwardly of said body, said body having sides tapering from therims ofeach set, a conductor fitting in each of said grooves with therims of each groove terminating.

at an intermediate portion of the periphery of the conductor andoverhanging opposite sides of the conductor and retaining the conductorin its said groove, each ofsaid conductors having a bare longitudinalportion, said body having arecess;

a support fitting in said recess of said body, and a carrier having acontact roller for each of said conductors.

6. An electrical conductor according to claim 1 wherein said body hastwo pairs of sets of rims defining four peripheral grooves of the sameshape and size, the grooves of each pair being opposite each other, withsaid conductor in one of said grooves and a similar conductor in anopposite groove, the other pair of grooves having a conductor in onegroove and a support having a ridge fitting in the opposite groove, acarrier having a contact roller for each of the conductors of said firstpair, one of said rollers having flanges conforming to the shape of saidbody adjacent its associated conductor, said carrier having a springcontact for the conductor of one groove of said second pair of grooves,and a support having an arcuate ridge having the same radius as saidconductors and fitting in the other groove of said second pair ofgrooves.

ALFRED J. KROECKEL.

6 REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 453,326 IdeJune 2, 1891 1,625,744 Remy Apr. 19, 1927 2,234,745 Von Rarrel Mar. 11,1941 2,279,383 Von Gehr Apr. 14, 1942 2,332,766 Von Gehr Oct. 26, 19432,453,778 Benbow Nov. 16, 1948 2,562,623 Levering July 31, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 483,714 England Apr. 25, 1938

